A Texas High School senior has been named one of the top five students in Texas for the TASSP Teens Serving Texas Award for his extensive volunteer work and community leadership.
Sanders Wiggins received the honor from the Texas Association of Secondary School Principals in recognition of more than 2,000 hours of community service completed during his high school career.
Wiggins’ service has spanned numerous initiatives throughout Texarkana, including student council leadership, donation drives for local organizations, providing school supplies to underserved students, and supporting efforts to assist the homeless. He has also spent more than four years helping elderly neighbors with weekly tasks like taking out trash.
Beyond local service, Wiggins founded a nonprofit organization called As You Go, which uses 3D printing technology to build prosthetic arms for individuals in developing countries. The organization has already provided prosthetics to recipients in Vietnam and Uganda.
One of his notable achievements was reviving a community bonfire pep rally that had been paused during the pandemic. Wiggins coordinated the entire event, securing permits and organizing student groups to bring together more than 1,000 attendees.
“Serving others is the core of who I am,” Wiggins said. “As I continue to grow, I see more and more ways to help. I believe a good leader is servant-hearted – that’s what I strive to be.”
Wiggins will be recognized this summer at the TASSP Summer Workshop in Dallas, where he will receive a commemorative plaque and a $500 scholarship.
“Sanders models the standard of leadership we strive to develop in our students,” said Dr. Doug Brubaker, Superintendent of Schools. “He leads with humility, serves without expecting recognition, and consistently looks for ways to make life better for others. This honor is well deserved.”